Pillows, cushions, mattresses and the like



Nov. 9, 1965 R. w. LAWSON 3,215,028

PILLOWS, CUSHIONS, MATTRESSES AND THE LIKE Filed April 17, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mam:

Z HW

ATTORNEY Nov. 9, 1965 R. w. LAWSON 3,216,028

PILLOWS, CUSHIONS, MATTRESSES AND THE LIKE Filed April 17, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.5. 23 28 l/Vl/EN7DR REGINALD W LnwsoN A TTORNE) United States Patent 3,216,028 PILLOWS, CUSHIONS, MATTRESSES AND THE LIKE Reginald Wyatt Lawson, 91 London Lane, Bromley, Kent, England Filed Apr. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 188,040 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 20, 1961, 14,302/ 61 9 Claims. (Cl. 337) The present application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 815,579, filed May 22, 1959, now Patent No. 3,042,938, issued March 1, 1962.

This invention relates to pillows, cushions and mattresses, all of which are included, where the context permits, in the term cushions which will be used in the following description and in the appended claims. Furthermore, as will appear from the following description, the invention provides certain novel cushions in the form of hollow cushions or cushion covers (which are included in the term cushions but which may themselves be referred to as pocket cushions).

The invention is especially, although not exclusively, applicable to mattresses and pillows which are intended to be used by babies, young children and invalids.

It is well known that many accidents occur, particularly to very young babies, who may be suffocated due to obstruction of their breathing, if they are using an ordinary pillow or even an ordinary mattress. Furthermore, when such pillows or mattresses become wet or soiled it isdifficult and it takes a considerable time to clean and dry them. In fact, the usual pillows, mattresses and cushions cannot be washed in the ordinary way but generally have to be sent away for dry cleaning This applies to pillows, mattresses and cushions having any of the usual fillings, including feathers, hair and fibres of vegetable origin, while such fillings often have a very undesirable effect on persons with a tendency to bronchial or respiratory complaints, such as hay-fever or asthma.

Even pillows, cushions or mattresses which are made of or filled with sponge or foam rubber, or with a similar synthetic material, suffer from a number of such disad vantages. These include, particularly, the risk of causing suffocation and difiiculty in cleaning. Even if a sponge material is used having pores which extend through it, as distinguished from closed cells, such pores are to a large extent closed, at least near the surface of the material, when pressure is applied to the latter. Furthermore, such materials are diflicult to wash and take a long time to dry.

In my aforesaid application Serial No. 815,579 there are described cushions or cushion covers (the term cushion including pillows and mattresses as well as other cushions) which possess a number of important advantages over the usual forms of pillows, mattresses and cushions which have been used in the past. It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide improvements in the construction of such pillows, mattresses and cushions.

The present invention, in one of its aspects, is particularly concerned with cushions, as herein defined, comprising a filling which is contained within a casing, wherein the materials for the filling and casing and details of their fabrication are carefully selected in order to obtain useful and desirable properties in the finished cushions.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention in one of its aspects provides a cushion as herein defined comprising a filling formed of a resilient synthetic material in filament form and a casing surrounding the filling to retain the latter, wherein the casing over at least one exposed face of the cushion is formed of an openwork material the openings in which are greater in size than the cross-sections of the filaments of the filling and 3,216,023 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 "ice permit free passage of air through the casing material, wherein the ends of the filling material are sealed to prevent them from sticking out through the said openings in the casing material and wherein the filling material forms an open resilient filling having air passages extending throughout its mass such that air or water can pass freely through the exposed face of the cushion and through the filling material.

The invention is also concerned with further improvements in the construction of cushions, as herein defined, particularly in the provision of novel or improved pocket cushions, which extend the range of uses of the invention and which provide other advantages.

According, therefore, to a further feature of this invention a cushion as herein defined is provided comprising a casing and a resilient filling therein which together form at least an upper section of a pocket cushion and which provides an interior space within the cushion which contains or is adapted to receive an inner padding or separate cushion, wherein at least one outer exposed part of the casing is formed of an openwork material the openings of which allow substantially unimpeded passage of air through the material and wherein the said filling is formed of a resilient synthetic plastic material in filamental form which forms a mass of intermingled filaments or a mass of filamental convolutions which lie one upon the other, communicating air spaces extending throughout the said filling.

The invention also provides a cushion as herein defined comprising an inner padding, an outer filling which ex tends over the inner padding on at least one side thereof, an outer casing which surrounds the filling and padding and a waterproof material separating the outer filling from the inner padding.

The invention will now be more fully described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view, partly broken away and in section, showing a baby's or like pillow which exemplifies certain features of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section taken on the line IIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are detail views which illustrate diagrammatically two forms of filling which may be used in the cushions of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view showing a modified form of pillow or cushion which exemplifies further features of this invention;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-section taken on the line VIVI of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 but showing another modification;

FIGURE 8 is a cross-section taken on the line VIII VIII of FIGURE 7.

Referring first to FIGURES 1 and 2, the pillow 10 there shown comprises a filling 11 which is contained within a casing 12. This casing, the upper and lower parts of which are secured together along the edges 13 by any suitable means, is made of an openwork material which will allow the free passage of air and water through it when the pillow is in use or when it is being washed and dried. As the material for the casing it is preferred to use synthetic fibres, which are preferably monofilaments made of a water-resistant material. Preferred substances are the polythene compositions which are known and sold under the Registered Trade Marks Courlene or Courlene X3 and especially the material having a polypropylene base which is sold under the Registered Trade Mark Courlene P.Y.

It is preferred, and this forms an important feature of this invention, that the filaments of the casing material should form a material with an openwork mesh, net or similar form having openings of finite size, as compared with simply using a woven material with a loose weave,- Which would not be suitable for the best results. Certain forms of knitted material could be used in suitable cases.

The formation of the filling 11 and "its relationship with the material of the casing 12 form important features of this invention. For the best results the filling 11 is preferably formed of a length or lengths of a monofilament synthetic material which is impervious to water and which possesses the necessary flexibility and resiliency, the filamental material being preferably crimped or curled. Alternatively the material might be of a loosely knitted kind. It forms an open and resilient filling which possesses the necessary properties of resiliency and firmness needed for the pillow (or other cushion), taking into account its intended use, while allowing an easy flow of air or water through the spaces which extend throughout the filling.

Since, in order to allow free flow of air and water through it, the material of the casing 12 requires to have openings in it which are larger than the thickness of the filaments, suitable dimensions for the openings in the casing material being about inch across, the provision of means for preventing the filling material from coming out through the casing material forms an important feature of this invention. One important factor in achieving this is the avoidance of free ends in the filling material, which could come out through the openings in the casing material. FIGURES 3 and 4 show two methods for achieving this.

In FIGURE 3 the filling material is shown as being formed of a single length of monofilament 14, the two ends of which are sealed together at 15, which may be done by heat or other suitable means. The successive turns of the filament 14, which is suitably crimped or curled, form coils or spirals which, resting one upon the other within the filling, form an open resilient mass with air spaces extending through it in all directions.

The filling material which is shown in FIGURE 4 is formed of a number of shorter lengths of monofilaments 16, each of which is formed into a closed loop (or series of loops) by sealing its ends together as shown at 16. These form the open resilient filling material.

Alternative methods of sealing the filament ends include providing these ends with enlarged beads, which might be done by using heat to enlarge the ends of the filaments themselves or by attaching beads or drops of another material to the ends.

It will be clear that the number of individual lengths of filament and the lengths thereof may be varied between a single long length, as shown in FIGURE 3, and a large number of short lengths each of which forms only a relatively small loop or ring, as shown in FIGURE 4.

Irrespective of the number of lengths of filament, the size of the coils or individual loops or rings into which it is formed in the filling is made several times the size of the openings in the casing material such that, taking into account the resiliency of the filament material, there is no risk of individual coils, rings or loops being forced out through the casing openings. Thus, with casing openings inch in size the coils or loops of the filling material should correspond to circles at least to /2 inch in diameter.

Instead of forming a monofilament material into coils, loops or rings, it could be loosely knitted or similarly formed into an open interlocking mass which could form the filling, the ends of the material being sealed in any suitable way to prevent them from penetrating through the casing.

With a pillow, mattress or cushion constructed as described above there is no risk of a baby being suffocated through lying with his face pressed against it, should it become wet through dribbling, perspiration or otherwise, or should it become otherwise soiled. The liquid or other soiling will tend to run through the pillow (for example) with the minimum soiling of the surface thereof, while the pillow can be easily and quickly washed and dried. Both the filling and the casing are unaffected by atmospheric conditions, including heat and dampness, and they have no adverse effect on persons liable to asthma, hay fever or the like. They can be easily and quickly disinfected, which is useful in hospitals.

The invention provides the same advantages when applied to mattresses or other cushions (including pocket cushions such as will be described) as well as to pillows.

Referring to FIGURES l and 2, these show in broken lines that the pillow 10 may be provided with extensions 18 which project from the ends of the pillow and which can be tucked in under the mattress, in order to hold the pillow in place. These extensions could be made of the same material as the casing 12 or of any other suitable material.

Referring now to FIGURES 5 and 6, these show a modified form of a pillow, forming a kind of pocket pillow which exemplifies a further important feature of this invention. In this case the pillow 20 is made hollow and comprises upper and lower sections 21 and 22. These are secured together along two side edges 23 and 24 and along one end edge 25, the other end 26 of the pillow being left open, as shown in FIGURE 6, in order to allow the insertion of an inner pillow or packing 27. The open end of the complete pillow 20 may be closed in use by tapes or other means, not shown.

It a packing is used this may be made of a disposable material which can, if necessary, be discarded each time the pillow is washed.

The upper section 21 of the pillow 20 is formed of a casing which comprises an upper part 28 and a lower part 29, which are joined together along their edges to form a closed casing, which is filled with a filling material 30. Similarly, the lower section 22 of the pillow 20 comprises a casing having upper and lower parts 31 and 32 and a filling 33.

In the construction shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 the entire casing of both the upper section 21 of the pillow 20 and the lower section 22, and also the fillings in both these sections, are formed of the same materials and in the same way as has been described for the pillow shown in FIGURES l and 2. As a result a pillow is obtained which has the same desirable properties as have been described for the pillow 10 of FIGURES 1 and 2, with the additional feature that the pillow 20 is hollow so that another pillow 27 can be fitted into it. The pillow 27 can itself by similar to the pillow 10 of FIGURES 1 and 2, except for it being smaller in size, or an inner pillow or filling of different construction and made of different materials could be used. 'For example, the pillow 27 could be a cheap pillow having any ordinary filling, although in this case it should preferably have a waterproof cover. In this way when the two pillows 20 and 27 are used together, any liquid or soiling which may reach the pillow 27 will not penetrate the latter and can easily be washed off it, while vthe construction of the outer pillow 20 offers all the advantages of the present invention, with the added advantage that the total quantity of filling material 30, 33

' required for the pillow 20 is less than would be needed for a solid pillow of equivalent size.

In the case of the pocket pillow 20 shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 the inner parts 29 and 31 of the casings 28 and 32 could be for-med of a waterproof synthetic plastic or other material, which would have the effect of preventing any water or dirt from reaching the inner pillow 27, thus completely protecting the latter. This enables an ordinary pillow (not waterproof) to be used in place of the pillow 27 or, alternatively, the pillow 27 could be replaced by a temporary or permanent filling formed of any suitable material. In this latter case with a permanent inner filling the end 26 of the pillow 20 could be permanently closed.

The thickness of the two sections 21 and 22 of the pocket pillow 20 will be determined by practical considerations, including cost and the fact that the thickness of the filling, at least in the upper section 21 of the pillow, must be suflicient to prevent suffocation if air cannot freely pass through the lower part 29 of the casing. The same would, of course, apply to a mattress or the like intended for use by babies or by certain invalids.

In the case of a pocket pillow, mattress or the like which will only be used with the section 21 uppermost, a filled lower section 22 is not necessary. It could be replaced by a single thickness of any suitable material.

FIGURES 7 and 8 are similar to FIGURES 5 and 6, but in this case the pocket pillow 40 is of quilted construction. Its interior may be filled with any suitable padding, protected from the outer filling 41 by a waterproof material, or it may be fitted over a separate pillow, which is shown at 42.

I claim:

1. A cushion for use as a pillow or the like and adapted to freely pass air and liquids and to be cleansed by washing, comprising,

a casing having a plurality of openings for the free passage of air and water,

a filling formed of resilient synthetic material in filament form, said filament being of smaller diameter than the openings in the casing to provide resilience when arranged to form a mass of superimposed convolutions providing a plurality of promiscuously arranged openings through which fluids may pass through said filling,

and means preventing loose ends of said filament from projecting through the openings of the casing.

2. A cushion for use as a pillow according to claim 1, wherein the means preventing loose ends of the filament from projecting through the openings in the casing include means sealing said ends together to form said filament into at least one closed loop the total thickness of which is greater than the size of the openings in the casing.

3. A cushion according to claim 1, wherein the filling is formed of a synthetic plastic monofilament material.

4. A cushion according to claim 1, wherein the filling comprises a mass of individual loops, each of which is formed of a length of crimped monofilament, the ends of which are joined together.

5. A cushion according to claim 1, wherein the filling is formed of a plurality of lengths of monofilament material and wherein the ends of each monofilament are sealed by attachment to a monofilament at a point between the ends thereof.

6. A cushion according to claim 1, wherein the casing material and the filling are each formed of a synthetic plastic monofilament material to provide a resilient body through which air and liquids may freely pass.

7. A cushion according to claim 1, wherein the casing is provided at its opposite ends with extensions formed of a flexible material, the ends of which extensions are adapted to be tucked under a mattress when the cushion is placed thereon.

8. A cushion for use as a pillow comprising,

an outer casing having openings to permit the passage of fluids and forming upper and lower outer surfaces for the cushion,

an inner casing formed of an impervious and waterproof material which is joined along its edges to the material of the outer casing to form upper and lower cushion sections,

a resilient filling within said upper and lower cushion sections, said filling being formed of a synthetic plastic material in filamental form and including means preventing the escape of elements of said filling through the openings in the material of the outer casing and having communicating air spaces extending throughout each of said cushion sections,

and means connecting the said cushion sections along a plurality of the edges thereof to form the cushion, said cushion having a space between the said cushion sections which is adapted to receive and contain a separate internal pillow.

9. A cushion according to claim 8, having an internal pillow fitted within it, wherein the cushion sections are of substantially rectangular form and are joined together along three of their edges, their remaining edges having an opening between them to allow the removal of the said internal pillow.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,922,466 1/60 Marston 5-347 2,948,911 8/ Steiner 15-20951 2,949,157 8/60 Barbuto 5337 2,956,291 10/60 Hauptman 5-337 3,042,938 7/62 Lawson 5-337 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner, 

1. A CUSHION FOR USE AS APILLOW OR THE LIKE AND ADAPTED TO FREELY PASS AIR AND LIQUIDS AND TO BE CLEANSED BY WASHING, COMPRISING, A CASING HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS FOR THE FREE PASSAGE OF AIR AND WATER, A FILLING FORMED OF RESILIENT SYNTHETIC MATERIAL IN FILAMENT FORM, SAID FILAMENT BEING OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE OPENINGS IN THE CASING TO PROVIDE RESILIENCE WHEN ARRANGED TO FORM A A MASS OF SUPERIMPOSED CONVOLUTIONS PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF PROMISCUOUSLY ARRANGED OPENINGS, THROUGH WHICH FLUIDS MAY PASS THROUGH SAID FILLING. AND MEANS PREVENTING LOOSE ENDS OF SAID FILAMENT FROM PROJECTING THROUGH THE OPENINGS OF THE CASING. 